• by Jeff Urban , Columnist, July 7, 2015

As marketing continues to evolve and develop alongside social media avenues that are being created and popularized, what remains constant is how millennials engage with the video marketplace. With 2015 well on its way, there has been continued focus on Internet usage, as well as media consumption, especially in the millennial age bracket. 

In a breakdown from YouTube, the platform reaches 21.6 million teenagers annually, meaning that 54% of all teens are on YouTube at some point. Compared to niche sites, YouTube has more viewers per month; almost quadruple the number that the most popular companies are generating. In addition, according to Pew in 2014, 87% of people between 18-29 use Facebook, 37% use Twitter and 53% use Instagram. 

We are looking at what millennials are watching, where they are watching it and how we provide continued value to the market. When starting to conceptualize a strategy, brands and agencies need to keep four key components in mind to boost engagement and success for advertising to millennials through video content: 

Online content and advertisements makes more sense than those on TV

The total hours that millennials spend watching traditional television have continued to decrease over the past few years. Between 2011 and 2014, TV viewing by 18-24 years olds decreased seven hours per week, according to Marketing Charts. This means that less and less traditional television is being watched and thus less advertising on that platform is consumed despite high price tags for primetime spots. 

Shorter clips will have more success in the marketplace

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, this year, the average human attention span is 8.25 seconds. This number has decreased from 12 seconds since 2000. In terms of advertising techniques, shorter and more succinct videos and posts resonate more with the average person — especially millennials. Thus, the takeaway for marketing to millennial fans through video is that short and sweet works best. 

Women will continue to consume more Internet video content, but prefer more positive messages from what they watch

Nielsen Neurofocus foundthat “the female brain is programmed to maintain social harmony” and thus responds to more positive messaging. To potentially cater to half of the world’s population watching and sharing content online, it makes sense for brands to keep messaging more favorable and upbeat rather than alienate viewers. 

Social media based advertising will continue to grow as an increasing number of millennials join the Internet
Seventy-one percent of total adults who are online are using Facebook and over the last year, video content consumption on the Internet jumped four hours per week for the average adult, according to the Pew Research Center. Together, an increase in social media usage, as well as in video consumption, means that advertising on these platforms will continue to be more lucrative endeavors for businesses looking to target certain viewer demographics. 

So what does that mean for brands and agencies wanting to reach a millennial audience through advertising? Marketers will need to employ short, online videos that have positive messages and are easily shared through social media. These pieces will often do the best in the marketplace and thus be the most beneficial marketing endeavors for companies moving forward.